2-amino-N-[7-methoxy-8-(3-morpholin-4-ylpropoxy)-2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazolin-5-yl]pyrimidine-5-carboxamide (10), (which is hereinafter referred to as “copanlisib”), is a proprietary cancer agent with a novel mechanism of action, inhibiting Class I phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3Ks). This class of kinases is an attractive target since PI3Ks play a central role in the transduction of cellular signals from surface receptors for survival and proliferation. Copanlisib exhibits a broad spectrum of activity against tumours of multiple histologic types, both in vitro and in vivo.
Copanlisib may be synthesised according to the methods given in international patent application PCT/EP2003/010377, published as WO 04/029055 A1 on Apr. 8, 2004, (which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), on pp. 26 et seq.
Copanlisib is published in international patent application PCT/US2007/024985, published as WO 2008/070150 A1 on Jun. 12, 2008, (which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), as the compound of Example 13: 2-amino-N-[7-methoxy-8-(3-morpholin-4-ylpropoxy)-2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazolin-5-yl]pyrimidine-5-carboxamide.
Copanlisib may be synthesized according to the methods given in WO 2008/070150, pp. 9 et seq., and on pp. 42 et seq. Biological test data for said compound of formula (I) is given in WO 2008/070150 on pp. 101 to 107.
2-amino-N-[7-methoxy-8-(3-morpholin-4-ylpropoxy)-2,3-dihydroimid-azo[1,2-c]quinazolin-5-yl]pyrimidine-5-carboxamide dihydrochloride (11), (which is hereinafter referred to as “copanlisib dihydrochloride”) is published in international patent application PCT/EP2012/055600, published as WO 2012/136553 on Oct. 11, 2012, (which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), as the compound of Examples 1 and 2: 2-amino-N-[7-methoxy-8-(3-morpholin-4-ylpropoxy)-2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazolin-5-yl]pyrimidine-5-carboxamide dinydrochloride: it may be synthesized according to the methods given in said Examples 1 and 2.
Copanlisib may exist in one or more tautomeric forms: tautomers, sometimes referred to as proton-shift tautomers, are two or more compounds that are related by the migration of a hydrogen atom accompanied by the migration of one or more single bonds and one or more adjacent double bonds.
Copanlisib may for example exist in tautomeric form (Ia), tautomeric form (Ib), or tautomeric form (Ic), or may exist as a mixture of any of these forms, as depicted below. It is intended that all such tautomeric forms are included within the scope of the present invention.

Copanlisib may exist as a solvate: a solvate for the purpose of this invention is a complex of a solvent and copanlisib in the solid state. Exemplary solvates include, but are not limited to, complexes of copanlisib with ethanol or methanol.
Copanlisib and copanlisib dihydrochloride may exist as a hydrate. Hydrates are a specific form of solvate wherein the solvent is water, wherein said water is a structural element of the crystal lattice of copanlisib or of copanlisib dihydrochloride. It is possible for the amount of said water to exist in a stoichiometric or non-stoichiometric ratio. In the case of stoichiometric hydrates, a hemi-, (semi-), mono-, sesqui-, di-, tri-, tetra-, or penta-hydrate of copanlisib or of copanlisib dihydrochloride is possible. It is also possible for water to be present on the surface of the crystal lattice of copanlisib or of copanlisib dihydrochloride. The present invention includes all such hydrates of copanlisib or of copanlisib dihydrochloride, in particular copanlisib dihydrochloride hydrate referred to as “hydrate I”, as prepared and characterised in the experimental section herein, or as “hydrate II”, as prepared and characterised in the experimental section herein.
As mentioned supra, copanlisib is, in WO 2008/070150, described on pp. 9 et seq., and may be synthesized according to the methods given therein on pp. 42 et seq., viz.:

In Reaction Scheme 1, vanillin acetate can be converted to intermediate (III) via nitration conditions such as neat fuming nitric acid or nitric acid in the presence of another strong acid such as sulfuric acid. Hydrolysis of the acetate in intermediate (III) would be expected in the presence of bases such as sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, or potassium hydroxide in a protic solvent such as methanol. Protection of intermediate (IV) to generate compounds of Formula (V) could be accomplished by standard methods (Greene, T. W.; Wuts, P. G. M.; Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis; Wiley & Sons: New York, 1999). Conversion of compounds of formula (V) to those of formula (VI) can be achieved using ammonia in the presence of iodine in an aprotic solvent such as THF or dioxane. Reduction of the nitro group in formula (VI) could be accomplished using iron in acetic acid or hydrogen gas in the presence of a suitable palladium, platinum or nickel catalyst. Conversion of compounds of formula (VII) to the imidazoline of formula (VIII) is best accomplished using ethylenediamine in the presence of a catalyst such as elemental sulfur with heating. The cyclization of compounds of formula (VIII) to those of formula (IX) is accomplished using cyanogen bromide in the presence of an amine base such as triethylamine, diisopropylethylamine, or pyridine in a halogenated solvent such as DCM or dichloroethane. Removal of the protecting group in formula (IX) will be dependent on the group selected and can be accomplished by standard methods (Greene, T. W.; Wuts, P. G. M.; Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis; Wiley & Sons: New York, 1999). Alkylation of the phenol in formula (X) can be achieved using a base such as cesium carbonate, sodium hydride, or potassium t-butoxide in a polar aprotic solvent such as DMF or DMSO with introduction of a side chain bearing an appropriate leaving group such as a halide, or a sulfonate group. Lastly, amides of formula (I) can be formed using activated esters such as acid chlorides and anhydrides or alternatively formed using carboxylic acids and appropriate coupling agents such as PYBOP, DCC, or EDCI in polar aprotic solvents.

In Reaction Scheme 2, a compound of formula (IV), prepared as described above, can be converted to a structure of formula (XII) using ammonia in the presence of iodine in an aprotic solvent such as THF or dioxane. Alkylation of the phenol in formula (XII) can be achieved using a base such as cesium carbonate, sodium hydride, or potassium t-butoxide in a polar aprotic solvent such as DMF or DMSO with introduction of a side chain bearing an appropriate leaving group such as a halide, or a sulfonate group. Reduction of the nitro group in formula (XIII) could be accomplished using iron in acetic acid or hydrogen gas in the presence of a suitable palladium, platinum or nickel catalyst. Conversion of compounds of formula (XIV) to the imidazoline of formula (XV) is best accomplished using ethylenediamine in the presence of a catalyst such as elemental sulfur with heating. The cyclization of compounds of formula (XV) to those of formula (XVI) is accomplished using cyanogen bromide in the presence of an amine base such as triethylamine, diisopropylethylamine, or pyridine in a halogenated solvent such as DCM or dichloroethane. Lastly, amides of formula (I) can be formed using activated esters such as acid chlorides and anhydrides or alternatively formed using carboxylic acids and appropriate coupling agents such as PYBOP, DCC, or EDCI in polar aprotic solvents.
The two already known synthetic pathways, Reaction Schemes 1 and 2, supra, suffer from numerous disadvantages which pose especially problems at larger scale:                Batchwise nitration of a molecule which is susceptible to oxidation is problematic for scale-up due to safety-concerns. For this reason, we developed a continuous process via microreaction-technology, as exemplified in Example 1 (vide infra).        Conversion of the aldehyde-group into a nitrile with ammonia and iodine as reagents is dangerous as ammonia and iodine may form nitrogen triiodide, a highly sensitive explosive substance.        The cyclisation with ethylenediamine to the imidazoline-ring needs sulfur. As sulfur is very difficult in cleaning processes in technical systems with fixed reactors and tubings, this cyclisation reaction is not suitable for scaleup.        Reduction of the nitrogroup to the corresponding amine on larger scale is difficult with iron and acid. Standard catalytic reductions often suffer fromside reactions, e.g. imidazoline ring opening which reduces the yield significantly.        
It was therefore desirable to devise a new synthesis, which circumvents these disadvantages and is suitable for production scale/industrial scale.